- Bridesmaids
- Bright
- Center Framed
- full body
- Funny
- Getting ready
- Indoor
- Laughing
- Leading lines
- Shoes
- Soft Light
- Unposed
The story behind the image
Composition
I wanted the sisters and their expressions to be just as visible as the brides, so I simply framed them in the middle shooting slightly to the side so I could see all three. I tend to gravitate toward a centered subject in most of my images, but especially during moments I think are important so nothing detracts from it.
framing
Center Framed
Focusing
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
I focused on the bride’s face since everything was on the same plane and easy to lock onto. I was far enough away with a 35mm that I didn’t need to worry too much about focus! During shots with movement like this, I always single point autofocus and shoot through my viewfinder since it’s faster.
Focus Mode
Single Shot Autofocus
Focus POints
Single Point
Focused on
The Brides face
Equipment &
Exif
Camera
Lens
Flash
Filter
1/500 @ f/1.8 ISO800 WB-6450K
The way the EXIF is written out follows the common photographic method (with the inclusion of White Balance at the end). Here it is broken down:
Shutter Speed @ Aperture ISO White Balance.
Light & Weather
The lighting in the AirBnb where they got ready was beautiful and luckily had great lighting. But I chose to set this shot up slightly backlit next to the large window. I often feel that backlighting and exposing for the subject draws more focus to them rather than the background. It also creates a slightly dreamier effect overall.
Light Type
Natural Light
Weather
Indoor
Editing Workflow
How did you edit this image?
I used my custom preset but made some adjustments since the lighting gave the image a little big of a cool/green tint. I applied my preset, increased the exposure, adjusted the tint slightly toward magenta, and adjusted the skin tones accordingly. I also brought up the highlights/whites a little bit.
Editing Software
Adobe Lightroom Classic
Preset Used
Challenges
Images like this are tricky because you want to capture a natural, genuine moment while making sure to capture each of the subjects in the best lighting and make sure they all look great.
Solutions
I placed them where I felt it would be most flattering and where they would be visible, and made sure to take a whole bunch of snaps to ensure I got some good ones. These girls were super giggly and lovely so that made it easy!
Location
Location Name
Santa Barbara, California
Location aDDRESS
Santa Barbara, CA
Loation Type
Private Home / AirBnB / Apartment
Country
United States
Sometimes (many times) couples don’t realize the moments they really want to be captured or know the ones that will make the most powerful images, so make it happen! I try to be as journalistic as I possibly can during a wedding day, but there are so many moments that go by so quickly and it’s our job to capture them even if it means setting it up ourselves. I love having some kind of moment between the bride and maid of honor/her sisters because I know they’re very important to them.
